To Be Unafraid
by Madara's Armour
Summary: Not only would Viatrix be able to catch up with her old friends, but she would get a chance to conduct a few studies on the research she'd been doing. It was a win-win, right? Not so much. There was always a twist, and for her, that twist just happened to be Madara Uchiha. (MadaraxOC, slight KagamixOC Rated M for sexual themes)
1. Chapter 1

**An Uchiha Reunion**

Viatrix sat in her study, hands flying across the keyboard of one of the numerous computers and other electronic devices that made up the contents of the room. No lights were turned on, the door was closed and locked, the curtains of the window were stapled shut. This was her dark room, where she could do her research and studies in peace and quiet.

The light from the computer screen in front of her reflected off of her glasses, which had slipped down her nose somewhat, though she couldn't care less to fix it. Her self-assigned project was nearing the deadline she had set for it, and she was determined to finish it before then.

Due to a program on her computers, she was able to click and drag the last piece of information she needed from one screen to the one adjacent to it, and she rolled her chair over to that computer without missing a beat. She quickly fixed the layout of her presentation to accommodate the new addition, and let out a relieved sigh as she sat back once finished. Smiling at her accomplishment, she saved the work to a flash drive and fished a personal Notebook laptop from her satchel. She inserted the flash drive and proceeded to save it onto that device before replacing everything to its original state.

Shutting down the computers, she shouldered her bag and headed for the door, jumping as the phone rang just before she left. Hurrying over, she picked up the phone and smiled at the caller ID.

"Hey Sasuke." She greeted her half-brother as she exited the room and arrived in her bedroom, plopping down on the bed as the other spoke.

"Hey V. You doing anything this weekend?" He asked casually; she thought for a moment.

"Not that I can think of. Why?"

"We're having a little get-together over here and were planning on going to Tofino for a few days. I was wondering if you wanted to come." He explained. Viatrix gasped, shooting up into a sitting position.

"Tofino, are you serious?!" He confirmed the inquiry, and she let out a girlish squeal. "Ohmygod, I've been dying to go there. The environment is just perfect for my wildlife research project I've been working on. I'd love to come!" She told him happily, hearing his chuckle on the other line.

"Great. I'll let the others know." He said. She paused.

"Wait, who else is going?" She asked skeptically. His sigh made her dread what his answer would be.

"A couple other Uchiha. My brother, Kagami, Madara and Rai." He listed quickly, as if that would keep her from catching every last syllable. Viatrix paled.

"M-Madara's going to be there?" She asked worriedly, fighting the urge to curl up into the fetal position already. Sasuke sighed again.

"Don't worry, Viatrix. I promise you he's okay. You just have to get to know him." He assured her, though it did little to help.

"I don't want to get to know him! He's scared me shitless ever since I was five and he killed that robber." She said in panic, minding to keep her voice down so that her nanny wouldn't hear her. "You remember that, don't you? How he just shot him without blinking an eye?" She buried her face in her pillow, having second thoughts about that trip now.

It had been her fifth birthday, and since Sasuke was apart of her family, a few relatives from his side came to attend. She didn't mind in the least - she loved Sasuke's family just as much as her own. Kagami and Izuna had been only a couple years older than her at the time, and taught her all sorts of things that would inevitably get her in trouble in the most hilarious of ways. Izuna had died a few years later from cancer, but...that wasn't part of the story.

Anyway, Madara, being the eldest of the Uchiha children, always thought himself the best. Being as young and carefree as she was, Viatrix had no problem with this and encouraged him. Truth be told, up until that day, Viatrix had always looked up to Madara and stuck by his side like glue. Often times, they would play super villain and side kick while the others were the super heroes and would have all kinds of unadulterated fun. It wasn't until the incident that she really started seeing him as the super villain.

Everyone had migrated inside the house - which could easily host a party of that size - for cake and, ultimately, the birthday song. Just as she had blown out the candles, having wished for one childish thing or another, a window in the kitchen seemed to explode into shards as a body came hurdling through. She remembered screaming, and instinctively running to hide behind Madara. Her father had already engaged in a fist fight with the later identified burglar, and managed to wrench a gun away from the man's grip.

However, this robber must have done some heavy body-building in his years, and easily overpowered her father, knocking him out with a single blow to the head. People had run outside screaming by then, leaving only herself, Sasuke's dad, her mother and Madara. When the man went for her mom, Fugaku (Sasuke's dad) had moved to stop him. Viatrix had panicked when Madara moved away from her and lunged for the forgotten gun, making everybody freeze when he cocked the weapon.

She remembered the robber trying to take it from him, and then a deafening bang that still woke her up in the middle of the night sometimes. She broke from the memory then, not wanting to relive the sight of the man's brains being shot out of his skull. So, given that Madara had really been the hero and had protected her mother and everyone else from harm, she still couldn't help but feel an unnerving fear of him now. The look she'd seen on his face was forever etched into her mind. The excited look in his eye, the way he looked so eager to pull the trigger, the curve of his lips when the man fell to the floor dead. It was more terrifying than the entire occurance.

"Of course I remember, how could I forget? But you have to realize that it's been eleven years since then. Just give him another chance." Sasuke said in a nearly pleading tone. Viatrix rolled onto her back, heaving a sigh of her own as she stared at the ceiling. Could she really confront this guy again? Just hearing his name gave her the jitters, but actually meeting with him in person after so long? She wasn't sure she could do it, but...the least she could do was try.

"Okay, okay. I'll go. But if something happens, I'm on the first flight out of there, with or without the rest of you." She warned him, making Sasuke chuckle.

"I don't doubt that. Thank you, Viatrix. It'll be a lot more fun with you there." She smiled at that, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah yeah. I'm going to go to bed soon. When are we leaving?" She asked.

"Friday, and we'll be back sometime later next week." He told her; she nodded to herself.

"Got it. See ya, Sasuke." She hung up and sighed once more, letting her body go limp. This was going to be interesting.

* * *

Tofino was located on Vancouver Island, a stretch of land just off of British Columbia. She was looking forward to seeing the wildlife very much. The next morning, she had received a text from Sasuke giving her the specifics of the trip. They would stay at an inn when they arrived and the rest of the trip would be spent camping and hiking. Meaning she would need her own tent, which she could easily supply, along with a sleeping bag and whatnot. They would all also be splitting the payment that the flight to and fro would cost, which was also doable. It was up to them individually whether they chose to ride first-class, business-class or economy-class, and that gladdened her. It wasn't that she was one for luxury, but she did enjoy the privacy offered by first-class, and wouldn't mind splurging a bit for that, at least on the way there.

They worked out that they would be staying for at least five days, though it may be extended depending on flight schedules. So she would pack for six days, and kept in mind the cold weather that would surely greet them in Canada. She also brought her satchel with her personal belongings, a high shutter-speed HD camera, and a good book or two to read. She also made sure to contact the bank and allow herself to access her account while over there, in case she needed extra money for anything. She checked with her nanny to make sure it was okay to actually go on the trip, and to ascertain that she would have everything she needed for a week of her absence. And, last but not least, she stopped by Strums to work out her schedule for when she returned. She would be doing over-time for the next couple of days once they got back, which she was completely fine with.

What with school being out for the summer, she needn't have to worry about that in the slightest. She had everything straight and organized, and was all ready and prepared when she met up with the Uchiha who would be accompanying her at the airport that Friday morning. Or at least, the majority of them. To her undisputed delight, she saw no sight of Madara. She glanced at Sasuke.

"Have I been spared the agony?" She asked hopefully, earning a halfhearted glare from the other.

"Unfortunately for you, no. He works here, and is helping to prepare the plane before it's boarded." He told her, making her frown a bit. Madara worked at the airport? So he'd been this close all along and she'd not seen him once? I mean, it was only the next town over. You'd think they'd have crossed paths at one point or another...Then again, she couldn't say she was particularly ungrateful they hadn't, either, so she let the thoughts drop.

"Okay, fair enough." She nodded in reluctant acceptance. The group made their way to the waiting area and started conversing casually with each other. It delighted Viatrix to be able to catch up with Sasuke's family. She hadn't been as isolated from them as Madara, but it still seemed like a while since they'd all been together like this.

As it turned out, Itachi had graduated high school by now and was planning on getting a degree in medicine to become a doctor. Kagami was a senior and had a scholarship to play college football. Rai's story wasn't much of a surprise to her, though, seeing as how they went to the same school, along with Sasuke. He was a junior pothead, but she wouldn't deny he was a great friend. A bit insane at times, but a great friend nonetheless. Sasuke hadn't quite figured out what he was going to do yet, but mentioned that he was leaning towards becoming a guitarist for his friend's band. Of course, this brought to mind Viatrix's manager at Strums, who would no doubt be more than willing to give him lessons. All in all, it was a nice reunion between the five of them, and they were all in a relatively good mood when they called for the plane to board.

However, Viatrix's nerves were immediately put on end once they started toward the plane. This was where she might have to confront Madara at long last...unless she could somehow avoid him by hurrying to first-class. She could get her seat and seclude herself in the private box with whomever she would sit in the booth with. She would probably pull the divider between her and her flight companion and be all set. Then she could relax for the rest of the flight until the inevitable came when they landed on Vancouver Island. At least until then, she could enjoy herself.

Seeing her chance when they boarded, she bid farewell to the Uchiha - whom had taken business-class seats - and hurried to the first-class section, easily finding the seat number she'd been given by a flight attendant. She slid into the booth with a sigh of relief, relaxing back into the comfortable chair as she closed her eyes. She'd managed to put off their confrontation for a few more hours...life must have felt mercifu-

"Viatrix?"

That voice...

* * *

**Tofino **is a location on** Vancouver Island**, an island just off of** British Columbia** (a Canadian province). I don't know much about it, but from what I've seen on Google images, it's a beautiful place to go sight-seeing, hiking and camping and all that jazz. Viatrix and her friends live in the southeastern part of** Washington State**, thus the need for a plane and whatnot.

* * *

**Hello again! Sorry for yet another story, but it won't be a continuation series or anything. Just thought I'd do something for my AU side of Viatrix ^_^ I'll try to keep it updated within a couple days of each chapter. Hope you guys like it~ Reviews are always appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Life is a Fickle Thing**

** Previously...**

_ Seeing her chance when they boarded, she bid farewell to the Uchiha - whom had taken business-class seats - and hurried to the first-class section, easily finding the seat number she'd been given by a flight attendant. She slid into the booth with a sigh of relief, relaxing back into the comfortable chair as she closed her eyes. She'd managed to put off their confrontation for a few more hours...life must have felt mercifu-_

_ "Viatrix?"_

_ That voice..._

* * *

Her whole body froze as the hairs on the back of her nick rose to attention. Sure, the voice she remembered had been from a pre-puberty boy, but it was impossible to mistake that tone.

Her eyes wandered over first, her head following shortly after. Surely enough, she was greeted with the eyes she'd feared meeting for so long now. The ones whose last memory they left her was of a cruel, sick amusement in taking the life of another, no matter how lowly the life had been. Those eyes looked back at her now, a certain maturity having taken refuge in their pupils. She could tell, then and there, that Madara was no longer the selfish, egotistic child she'd once known. He'd become a man, through and through.

This particular realization was all it took to distract her from the past she'd run away from for so long. Madara had changed. He was still Madara, of course, but he seemed...different. Almost as if that same day had changed him as much as it had changed her, though perhaps not in the same way. While she became a pacifist who hated violence of any kind, maybe he had turned out differently. She couldn't be sure of what he'd turned out to be, exactly, but she was sure something had been altered.

"Hello, Madara." She said finally, just then realizing that she'd been staring at him for an uncomfortable amount of time. Her eyes dropped to her hands in her lap, fiddling with her fingers, and she saw him turn slightly toward her out of the corner of her eye.

"It's been a long while, Viatrix. How have you been?" He asked, seeming eager to engage in conversation. She cleared her throat a little out of nervousness.

"I've been well, and yourself?" The question was returned out of courtesy, and little more.

"Likewise." He replied, pausing for a moment before leaning forward slightly. "Is an apology in order?" He asked, lowering his voice a bit. She glanced back at him then, taken slightly aback. He wanted to apologize? For killing the man that would have otherwise harmed both of their families? Albeit given, it was a traumatizing event for her life, but she didn't dare think of what might have happened if he hadn't done it. She finally came to the conclusion that she did not hold that against him whatsoever.

"No." She told him, willingly meeting his eyes this time. "Please don't apologize. There's no reason to." She assured him, her lips curling up somewhat in a soft smile. The gesture was returned to a slightly greater degree, which eased her nerves a great deal. Yes, he had changed. She would believe for the better.

"Good." She nodded at that and a comfortable silence rose between them. So seeing him again hadn't been as bad as she thought it would be. She was able to label the fear she had felt as thinking he had become some psycho killer that would murder her on sight, though she was now given reassurance that that most certainly was _not_ the case. "You've grown." He commented suddenly, clearly still wishing to converse with her. She didn't mind so much now.

"That's kinda what happens when you get older." She replied sarcastically, bringing a smile to both of their faces. "You have, too. I mean, look at all that hair." She teased, raising a brow at the massive black mane of hair that now hung from his head. She was tempted to touch it, but wasn't quite ready for any kind of physical contact just yet. After all, it had been eleven years - they were practically strangers to each other now.

"Hn. And I see you've kept yours short." He added, on the other hand not hesitating to tease a charcoal lock, fingers brushing against her ear. She tensed immediately, and he automatically dropped his hand as if he'd just been burned. She slowly relaxed again, giving him a brief apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. It's just..." She sighed, searching for the right words. He held a hand up.

"I know. It'll take time for things to be even remotely close to how they used to be." He said, as if speaking her thoughts. She just looked at him for a moment, and he looked back. Nibbling on the inside of her lip for a moment, she finally spoke up again.

"You're right. But I don't want things to be how they used to be." He gave her a questioning look, to which she responded, "It's a clean slate, let's start something new, eh?" She suggested in all seriousness. She could have sworn she caught something flash in his eyes at that, something akin to surprise of some sort. She wasn't quite sure how to interpret that, but hoped for the best.

"Agreed." He nodded, leaning back into his seat as if a thousand pounds had been lifted from his shoulders. She smiled and did the same, enjoying how carefree she felt around him now. They had both changed, so their relationship should, as well. It had been super villain and sidekick before, and she pondered what they could be now.

* * *

The flight only lasted for an hour and a half, so they arrived in Tofino in what seemed like no time at all. Viatrix and Madara had eventually spoken about what they'd really been up to. Madara apparently worked part-time at the airport they had launched from, usually in the evenings, while also serving at a coffee shop in the same town. She made a mental note to visit him there sometime, now that she knew where she could find him and wasn't deathly afraid of him anymore.

Leaving the airport was a hassle, what with having to find their luggage and making sure they knew whose was whose. Once that was over and everyone had had their bathroom breaks, we left the terminal and started toward the road that would lead into town. Sasuke had had it all planned out - there was a bus that ran through shortly after the time they had been scheduled to arrive. We were joined by a few other flight passengers, the bus having been nearly empty otherwise. Viatrix figured it must have been a normal thing for the bus to pick up from the airport.

They were driven into Tofino Village, and Viatrix was taken aback by the beauty and simplicity of the place. The coastline was absolutely gorgeous, and the scenery was to die for. She knew right from the start that she would obtain some great shots for her project, which she would be submitting to a college in order to win a scholarship that had been offered. They had a wonderful computer tech. program and she wouldn't mind learning how to expand her wildlife studies, either.

The village was small and easy to navigate, and they were able to find Tofino Motel by foot. Not an inn, but a quaint little place, regardless. They were told that they only had one double room and a single left, which wasn't surprising with all the people having just checked in, as well. In hindsight, it might have been a good idea to have made arrangements prior to their arrival, so that they wouldn't have this problem. But, considering they had just flown in and needed to map out their hiking trip and where they would be camping, they had no other choice than to take the remaining rooms.

Of course, Itachi and Sasuke were fine sharing a bed, so it was ultimately left up to the rest of them who would be sleeping with who. It seemed the Uchiha had their own way of deciding that one.

"Hey, I can double up with V." Rai offered, wiggling his brows at her, which she rolled her eyes at. Kagami raised his own brow, holding out his arm. Rai sighed, gripping the other's hand as they braced their elbows with their free hands. The arm-wrestle began and was quickly settled when Rai was nearly thrown to the side. Kagami smirked in victory, taking steps forward as if to accompany Viatrix to her room. However, he was stopped with a hand on his shoulder, and the two of them glanced up at Madara. Viatrix gulped as she saw where this was going, but hardly had the mind to speak up.

The grapple between those two didn't even last as long as the other. It almost seemed like Kagami wasn't trying, but the strain in his muscles in that split second was clearly visible. Alas, Madara simply had the upper hand. Still, this whole competition rose a bit of curiosity in the Sasaki girl.

"So what was that all about?" She asked, not being ignorant of the obvious outcome, but more rather of the reason for the challenge.

"Simple. The strongest should accompany the lady." Madara explained in short. "Protection purposes, of course." He added hurriedly, as if afraid she would get the wrong idea. She snorted and shook her head, though she was slightly grateful of the unspoken understanding amoungst the Uchiha. She wasn't one to boast about being able to take care of herself in physical situations. She was a nerd, she spent more than ninety-five percent of her time in front of computer screen; the only workout being received was to her fingers, which were constantly typing away. Point was, she had the upper body strength of a penguin, plain and simple.

So now that that had been settled, they all made their way to their respective rooms. Itachi, Sasuke, Kagami and Rai took the double room, while Madara and Viatrix occupied the single. She was well aware that Kagami and Rai, or Itachi and Sasuke could have taken the single in their stead, supposedly offering more "protection" to the female, but she saw the reasoning behind the arrangement. One girl, five boys, three of which would be in the same room with her, though with only two being a potential danger, if given that it were Sasuke and Itachi that had taken the double with them. Make it three should it have been Kagami and Rai.

It wasn't that she was saying that they were all a bunch of perverse pigs, but it was all-in-all safer with a single physically strong person, rather than three whose thoughts could never be untangled. She could trust Sasuke, being half-siblings, but she held no other ties than friendship with the rest of them. And another advantage to only having one guy - even though they'd be sharing a bed - there was less of a chance he'd be persuaded by any outside influences. For now, she simply had to trust that Madara would hold true to the pact of protecting the lady, rather than estrange their newfound relationship further.

* * *

Places in **Tofino** have a lot of redundant names, such as: **Tofino Airport, Tofino Village**, and **Tofino Motel**. This story is set in June, the summer in which school is out. In **Tofino**, the first weekend of June brings the _Tofino Food and Wine Festival_, where the creations of Tofino chefs are showcased and **British Columbia** wine is featured. However, the festival would have already passed by the time they arrived in the village.

* * *

**Whoa, two chapters in one night, that's a record for me haha. Alas, I've tired myself and will continue writing tomorrow~!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Unwilling to be Willing**

** Previously...**  
_ And another advantage to only having one guy - even though they'd be sharing a bed - there was less of a chance he'd be persuaded by any outside influences. For now, she simply had to trust that Madara would hold true to the pact of protecting the lady, rather than estrange their newfound relationship further._

* * *

The first thing Viatrix did upon entering the room was whip out her laptop. She thought it would be a good idea to read up on Tofino - customs, what kind of wildlife they could expect on their hike, any other festivities that they might encounter (which turned out to be none). She hadn't had the time to do this before they set off on the trip, for she had been busy preparing and making sure everything was alright for her absence. Of course, she was expected to text her friends everyday, but that simply wasn't possible. They would be in the wilderness, meaning no wi-fi. Not to mention the long distance, which would cost both ends a butt-load of money.

Viatrix kept tabs on Madara out of the corner of her eye. She had set up her little station on a convenient desk, her jacket hung on the back of the chair, while he was sorting through his bags on the bed. She was surprised that the TV was completely discarded by him. She wasn't much for television herself, but most of the males she knew were very punctual about their TV time. She could just see Rai lounging on one of their beds watching hockey or something of the like. Her lips twitched at the thought, but she otherwise returned to her research.

A few moments passed in silence before Madara finally spoke up. "I'll be in the bathroom." Was all he said before disappearing into said room. She shrugged it off as she began filing the information she read in her mind, specifically the wildlife info. She was dearly looking forward to catching some nice photos of the animals said to inhabit the area. Black Tail Deer, cougars, wolves, herons, eagles - and that was just above ground. The sea life was even more opportunistic: sea lions, sea otters, orcas, humpback whales. That most certainly didn't end the lists, but she was feeling anxious to get started.

She was so into what she was reading that the light knock on the balcony window nearly made her fall out of her chair. She turned a glare on the familiar laughter from the other side of the glass, shaking her head as she stood and approached it. She glared through the glass at Kagami, who was still trying to regain himself from his laughter. Then she just chuckled and slid the door open, stepping out onto the balcony with him.

"What do you want?" She asked teasing, leaning back against the railing. She enjoyed the faint zephyr that lightly lifted her hair, and brought the scent of the half-in-half-out restaurant she had taken note of down the road on their way here.

"Sasuke sent me to check up on you guys and see if you wanted to get dinner." Kagami said, bracing a hand against the railing as he leaned to face her. She tilted her head as she thought. She could go for some food right about now. She couldn't wait to see what what kinds of foods they offered here. She smiled.

"Sure. I'll go let Madara know." She said, pushing off from the railing to head back inside. She was stopped by a hand on her shoulder, making her glance curiously at Kagami. He was giving her an intense look.

"Listen, if anything happens and you want to switch partners...just let me know." He told her, his voice lowered as if in fear of being overheard. She stared at him, taken slightly aback at his words. Still, she nodded silently, receiving one in return as he finally released her. With a last look, he turned and began to leisurely make his way back to his own room next door. Viatrix watched him for only a moment before heading back inside, sliding the glass door shut at the same time that Madara emerged from the bathroom.

"Who was that?" The Uchiha asked. It wasn't surprising that he could have caught part of their brief conversation, what with the door having been left wide open. She let herself relax again, trying not to think about the last bit Kagami had said to her.

"Kagami came to see if we wanted to go out for dinner. Everyone else is going, you wanna come?" She asked, closing everything up on her computer. He shrugged.

"Guess so. When are we heading out?" He asked; she glanced at the time.

"Shortly, I presume. It'll be getting dark soon." She told him, slipping her laptop into her satchel and making sure her wallet was with her. She grabbed her brown jacket as Madara fished his own out of his bag - a simple light brown/gray jacket - and slipped on a beanie. She could admire that the look was nice on him, but didn't think to comment on it as they left their room and met up with the others down the hall, heading out shortly thereafter.

The walk down to the restaurant wasn't a long one. Viatrix was pleasantly surprised with the simple lodge-style decor of the place. Two tables were pushed together in order to fit them all and they were given menus to choose their food from. The waiters were nice and she had to say, though the choices were limited, the food did look rather savoury. She wound up getting smoked salmon and a glass of tea.

As predicted, the food was absolutely fabulous. They had nothing but compliments for the chefs and each left a tip by the time they had finished. Viatrix was sure she would miss this on their hike, and especially when they had to return home. They just didn't have this kind of stuff back in Connell.

It was dark upon returning to the motel. They all agreed to set their clocks for seven AM. They would eat breakfast in the small cafeteria provided within the motel and head out by eight-thirty at the latest. Viatrix shed her bag and jacket before rummaging through her bag for her pajamas. Comfortable flannel pants and a tank-top. She went to change in the bathroom, not forgetting to brush her teeth and comb through her hair before returning to the bed to let Madara do his own business.

She went ahead and claimed the left side of the bed on impulse, for it was the side she usually slept on at home. This was because the other half was occupied by her cuddle-pillow. Hey, she couldn't help that she was a cuddly sleeper, and the pillow was-

She froze as she remembered, _she was a cuddly sleeper_. Oh, dear god, she hoped her body would remain still after falling asleep. She didn't know what she would do if she woke up to find that she had unconsciously cuddled Madara in her sleep. She would more than likely die of embarrassment! Not to mention fear of what he might do...

She jumped once again as the bathroom door opened and the aforementioned Uchiha came out. She made sure she was facing the edge of the bed, thus allowing her to see immediately that Madara had dressed in only a pair of sweatpants and nothing more. Her face went completely red, though it was thankfully not seen as the other turned the lights off and approached the bed. The only light now came from the moon outside the balcony door, the curtains of which remained open. She remained turned away as she felt the bed dip on the other side, making her heart race uncontrollably.

In the small moment in which she was given to view her temporary roommate, it was beyond her control to pay particular attention to his devilishly sculpted muscles. You couldn't blame her for being human, and humans have a natural sense to size up the opposite gender - an instinctual selective breeding, whether you're conscious of it or not. So, in layman's terms, she found the man to be absolutely pulchritudinous, no questions asked.

Twas when his allayed sigh glided across her shoulder that she had to physically restrain herself from shivering. Apparently, she didn't do a very good job, for a hand appeared on her shoulder. "Are you cold?" Asked a low voice that sounded much closer than she had originally thought. The Sasaki tensed without saying anything, just like the last time he had touched her, but he didn't retract his hand this time. Instead, he let it linger as she felt his body shift from behind. Suddenly, he was hovering over her, arm reaching over the side of the bed. She froze completely - stopped breathing and everything - until he pulled back with something in his hand. "Here." He offered, making her sit up on her elbows to see what he was handing to her.

It was a hoodie, and not the kind just meant for looks, either. It was a fine cotton fabric, and even had the fuzz on the inside of the hood. Her eyes turned to his, which were hard to see in the dark, but she regardless tried to convey a grateful look. Yes, she was, in fact, cold. And even though that had nothing to do with why she shivered, she thought it best to limit the chance of making this whole thing more awkward than it already was.

"Thank you." She said quietly, taking the hoodie and quickly slipping it on. Due to the fabric catching on her glasses, she finally remembered she needed to take those off, and leaned over to set them on the bedside table. Returning to her previous position, still facing away from him, she couldn't help but notice he had scooted somewhat closer. She could now feel his body heat radiating off of him, rather than just his presence on the other side of the bed. For now, she would check it off as nothing more than an attempt to further warm her. Her naive mind didn't want to think it were anything else.

As her heartbeat settled down to normal once more and she began to take on the deep, steady breathing of someone close to falling asleep, she caught a scent which kept her conscious for a moment longer. It was something that tickled the back of her mind, a memory. She knew it had to be some kind of perfume or cologne...yeah, a cologne. Just after deciding that, she was easily able to connect the scent to Madara. As a child, he would always steal his father's cologne and apply it to himself, thinking it would make him more of a man. Viatrix had always told him he overdid it, but was able to identify him by smell alone after that. With as much as he put on back then, you could smell him from fifty yards away. And although it was toned down to a reasonable amount now, she could still recognize it. It must have clung to his hoodie, then...

Smiling to herself, Viatrix easily slid into a peaceful slumber with the scent of her best friend from the past lingering in the air.

* * *

The restaurant the group went to eat at was **Spotted Bear**. A few items from their menu are: smoked salmon, tuna tartare, lamb burger, pho, brits on toast, duck and el cid. I actually don't know how far the restaurant is from the motel, but it seemed like a good choice simply because of the limited, yet delicious menu. As for the cologne, the one I had in mind was **Canali Men**: "**Canali** Men by **Canali** is a Woody Floral Musk fragrance for men. **Canali Men** was launched in 2005. The nose behind this fragrance is **Pierre Bourdon**. Top notes are orange, nutmeg, pineapple, coriander, mandarin orange, apple, bergamot and cardamom; middle notes are orange blossom, lily, violet and jasmine; base notes are leather, iris, sandalwood, tonka bean, musk, vetiver and cedar." - from **fragrantica** (a website). I just thought the scent would compliment Madara's character in this story well ^_^

* * *

**Don't you guys worry your pretty little heads - a lemon is coming your way in the next chapter or two. I mean, give me a break, they have a tentative total of five days in the wilderness, it'll happen when it happens. Until then, bear with me XP**


	4. Chapter 4

**Tearing**

**Previously...**  
_Smiling to herself, Viatrix easily slid into a peaceful slumber with the scent of her best friend from the past lingering in the air._

* * *

The sound of the alarm going off was like Hell hounds crashing through her mind. Viatrix groaned and tried to bury herself into the warmth that surrounded her, thinking the sound would go away if she could make herself disappear. Movement close by brought her to half awareness, and she figured Madara had turned the alarm off, giving cause for a sigh of relief. There was a chuckle at that, but she didn't quite hear it more than she felt it.

It was only then that she realized she was way too warm to just be covered by a blanket, even if she was wearing a hoodie. And that scent from last night now surrounded her, rather than the faint whiff it had been when she fell asleep. Not to mention that the thing her arms were apparently wrapped around breathed lightly against her neck.

Her eyes opened suddenly, and she was met with the comfortable crook of Madara's shoulder, where she realized she must have nuzzled into at some point during the night. "Comfortable?" Came the sarcastic question she should have seen coming. Inhaling sharply, she pulled away from him as if he'd shocked her. However, she hadn't taken into account what other body parts were entangled with him, and was pulled to an abrupt stop at the sound that left Madara's lips, unexpected by both of them.

A hand landed between her legs, which were criss-crossed with the Uchiha's. The appendage was nerve-rackingly close to her core, sending shivers up and down her spine. Only then did she realize what had happened, and a horrid blush flooded her face red. Her whole body froze and refused to move an inch, which she supposed he could feel, what with their uncomfortably close position. Her eyes locked onto his, a sort of intense fear glinting in her sable orbs. Her breath would have been shaky and shallow, should her lungs not have closed themselves off.

Slowly, as if in an attempt not to startle her further, Madara began to push away, untangling their legs. His hand removed itself from her body not a moment after he stood off the side of the bed. The look on his face was...well, if she didn't know any better, she'd say he looked almost forlorn. He disappeared around the bed without a word, and she heard the bathroom door close behind her.

Immediately after, she shot into a sitting position, eyes wide. Had that really just happened? She actually wasn't even too sure _what_ just happened, but she found it hard to wrap her head around. She was no prude, she was aware that the physical contact that had just occurred was what caused his reaction, and honestly, it didn't shock her. What _did_ shock her was what followed - e.g the hand on her thigh. And it wasn't so much of an unexpected shock, but more rather a shock of fear. Out of the three Uchiha whom had competed to be her roommate, he was surely the strongest. Meaning, she would have no chance in a million years in a physical brawl with him, you could forget about any sort of resistance. The simple knowledge that he could force her into absolutely anything froze her to her core in terror. She'd never felt so powerless and vulnerable in the presence of a man before...it was unnerving.

Deciding it not the best idea to chance changing in the room, she opted to wait for Madara to finish in the bathroom. She could think of multiple things he could be doing in there, but didn't dare let her mind linger on any one thing for too long. She instead busied herself on her laptop, shaping up a few files since she had nothing else to do.

Not too long later, the door opened once more. Viatrix stood, grabbed her bag, and slipped inside the bathroom without looking at him, thankful that he had the mind to step aside and let her pass. Inside the sanctuary of the small, yet generously sized space, she hurriedly chose a practical outfit and made to brush her teeth and fix her hair properly. Taking a few moments simply to gather her thoughts and regain herself, she exited the bathroom to find the main room empty. Sighing to herself, she packed everything in her bag and grabbed her glasses before heading out the door.

She unexpectedly ran right into someone upon doing so, fortunately being caught in that person's arm. A jolt of alarm coursed through her at the thought that it was Madara, but she was more than thankful to find Kagami's face above hers, grinning stupidly.

"Well hey there, I was just coming to get you. Good to know you're so eager to see me." He said teasingly, helping her back onto her feet as she straightened herself and glared at him halfheartedly.

"Har har. Is everyone eating breakfast already?" She asked, walking alongside the other down the hall; he nodded. They made their way down to said area in relative silence, finding the group at a table with plates of generic breakfast foods in front of them. She sat next to Sasuke and decided to pick at his, since she wasn't feeling particularly hungry that morning.

"Sleep well?" Her brother asked conversationally; she shrugged, nibbling on a piece of biscuit.

"Well enough. You?" She replied, earning a similar response. She minded to keep her eyes downcast, aware of her previous roommate sitting just a few seats down.

"We'll be heading out in the next twenty minutes, so everyone should make sure they have their stuff together." Sasuke said, receiving a couple sarcastic "yes sir"s, namely from Kagami and Rai. He rolled his eyes and stood, presumably to go do what he had advised everyone else. Viatrix replaced the biscuit on his plate and stood to take it to the trash. She glanced up as another stood at the same time, meeting eyes with the one she dreaded being close to again. She immediately dropped her gaze and went to the garbage, sensing him follow close behind.

"Viatrix, I'm sor-" She cut him off before he could say anything more.

"Just don't. You must give me time." She said, enunciating this last. His shoulders slumped in defeat, but he nodded regardless.

"Alright." Was all he said as they returned to their seats at different ends of the table. Itachi had left by then, leaving only them and the two illiterates, one of which seeming set on making her talk today.

"Say, V, what say you about taking a walk with me along the coastline until everyone's ready?" Kagami inquired, an inquisitive look in his eye. She studied him for a moment before taking a breath and shrugging.

"I don't see why not. Perhaps I'll get a few good pictures along the way." She said, standing once again with the smirking Uchiha. She pointedly ignored Madara's stare as she and Kagami left the motel, heading toward the coast, which wasn't too far away, considering she could see it from there.

Viatrix silently kicked a rock in front of her as she walked, hands in her pockets. It was rather chilly today, and the thin jacket she'd chosen didn't do much to protect against the temperature. As if on cue, she felt something being put around her shoulders, and she turned to see Kagami had taken off his coat. Instead of protesting like she normally would, she just gave a small smile and offered a mumbled thank you.

"No problem." He replied, seeming as if the cold weather didn't affect him. "So, uh...can I ask what happened between you and Madara?" He asked, finally starting conversation. She'd already seen this coming, and had pondered over what she felt like telling him. In the end, she decided details weren't really his business.

"Nothing. The arrangement just made things a bit awkward." She evaded smoothly. Of course, she didn't expect him to simply settle for that, and to her expectations, he didn't.

"Oh no, don't give me that. I saw the way you two were acting. You may lay off Rai with that kinda answer, but I know better." He said, stepping in front of her and stopping their stride. He looked into her eyes knowingly. Perhaps he wasn't an entire pubescent boy. "So spill it. What did he do to you?" He asked quietly.

In all honesty, she'd been about to say "to hell with it" and tell him anyway, but the way he worded his question made her hold her tongue. What did _he_ do to her? What all of a sudden made him think Madara had done anything? The cold hard truth was that is was were fault anything happened. It actually ticked her off that Kagami would just automatically assume the fault was Madara's. Did he not trust his relative? Was he more wary of Madara than even Viatrix had been?

She narrowed her eyes. "_He_ didn't do anything. I don't know what on earth could have made you think he did." She said, turning on her heel to begin trekking back to the house. Kagami caught up with her a moment later.

"Hey, don't take it so personally. I have my reasons to accuse him of doing something." He claimed. This made her stop and turn abruptly to face him, making him stumble to a halt, as well.

"Do share. I can't wait to hear this." She said, crossing her arms and quirking an impatient brow at him. He sighed at her, but began speaking regardless.

"A few years ago, Madara had this girlfriend. Sweet thing, wouldn't hurt a fly. And for a while, we thought she was just naturally timid." The look in his eye hardened a little, and Viatrix listened intently. "Turns out we were wrong. I can't even repeat some of the things he did to her, it was brutal. After we found out about it, we were shocked that she wasn't already dead." The Sasaki felt a growing sense of fear rise in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like where this was going... "And considering how long he'd been doing this stuff to her, it really was a wonder how she wasn't. For someone who wouldn't hurt a fly, she was tough. But the gods only know why she stayed with him." Kagami sighed and shook his head, as if he could no longer look at her because of the seemingly painful memory. "And if it weren't for us, he would be doing his time in jail...We wouldn't turn him in, though, and neither would she. Afterwards, she left him and moved to the other side of the country or something. I'll admit, Madara's changed since then. He promised he would. But now you see why I don't trust him." He concluded, finally looking back to her. She was frowning deeply now, having not expected such a legitimate reason for his caution.

"I'm sorry...I had no idea..." She said quietly, shaking her head slightly. Of all the things...she could have never guessed Madara would have that kind of history. It definitely made her view him differently.

"Hey, it's alright." Kagami assured her with a hand on her shoulder, making her look back up at him. He was smiling at her gently. "As long as he didn't do anything to you." The implied question from before still hung in the air, and she shook her head again.

"He didn't. It was..." she scoffed lightly, "stupid of me, my fault entirely. But nothing happened, I promise." She said meaningfully. He let out a relieved sigh and nodded, then pulled her into a hug. She hugged back without resistance, glad for the warm contact. But then she remembered she still had on his jacket, and pulled back worriedly. "God, you must be freezing. Let's get back to the others and see if they're ready." She suggested, and they began walking back.

When they reached the motel, Viatrix moved to open the door to go inside, but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. Just as she turned to ask what Kagami was doing, she was met with a pair of cold lips pressed to her own. Her eyes widened as his closed, though not a second had passed before he pulled back, a small smirk on his face. Viatrix blinked, trying to form the correct question in her head, but then he let her go just as the door opened, the rest of the group exiting the motel.

"Oh, there you guys are. You ready?" Sasuke asked obliviously.

* * *

**Aw guys, I'm heart-broken. No reviews on Christmas? And here I was in the holiday spirit...**

**Nah, but seriously, a review would be nice. At least tell me how it's doing? Something I could fix or do better on? An author's elixir is constructive criticism~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Carefree Philosophy**

**Previously...**  
_When they reached the motel, Viatrix moved to open the door to go inside, but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. Just as she turned to ask what Kagami was doing, she was met with a pair of cold lips pressed to her own. Her eyes widened as his closed, though not a second had passed before he pulled back, a small smirk on his face. Viatrix blinked, trying to form the correct question in her head, but then he let her go just as the door opened, the rest of the group exiting the motel._  
_ "Oh, there you guys are. You ready?" Sasuke asked obliviously._

* * *

"Sure, let's go." Kagami said casually, as if that hadn't just happened. Viatrix stepped back as the group started forward, presumably to the car rental where they would get the van Sasuke rented. She was still left in shock of what that Uchiha had just pulled on her. Of all the things she thought Kagami capable of, being so ignorantly bold was not one of them. It seemed she was proven wrong.

"Viatrix?" The Sasaki was snapped out of her state of shock by the voice that continuously took her by surprise. Blinking up at Madara, who stood in front of her with a concerned look in his eye, she took another step back to put distance between them.

"I'm fine. Let's go." She said brusquely, striding past him to rejoin the group, knowing he was but a step behind.

"You've seemed rather distant lately. Is something the matter?" The elder persisted, this time seeming intent on getting some answers out of her.

"No, nothing at all." Viatrix said, her voice a tad bit more venomous than she'd meant it to be. Still, he wasn't deterred.

"You're not a very good liar. Was it something I've done? Did Kagami say something while you two were out?"

"I hardly see how that is any of your business. Just drop it, alright?" She picked up her pace a little.

"No." He was suddenly in front of her again, blocking her path with a hard look. "I've backed off for long enough. Tell me what I need to fix and I'll fix it." He stated determinedly. She exhaled in frustration.

"Did it ever occur to you that the way to fix it is to back off?" She questioned, her voice having risen with vexation. She was very aware that the outburst had caused the group walking ahead to stop and look back at them, but she paid them no mind. Nor did she pay it to the surprised look on Madara's face. "I've told you again and again that I need time. You would think space would also be included." And with that, she turned and marched in the direction they were going, ignoring the looks of the others as she passed.

She didn't mean to blow up at Madara, but he was pushing his luck too far. How could he possibly expect her to fall back into their old routines so easily? After the long departure, and now what had happened this morning. When she had said that their relationship should begin anew, she meant that they should start from scratch. Meaning she wasn't near ready to accept his personal guidance just yet. Not to mention what Kagami had enlightened her of. She needed time to process and get used to everything, and space to keep her thoughts clear. If he continued to push too close...she didn't know what would happen. She just hoped that now he'd gotten the message, no matter how brutally she had to deliver it.

The others must have disregarded the outburst for the time being, for it was Sasuke who led them to the car rental place. Once retrieving the van, they all filed in. Thankfully, there were two back rows. Itachi was driving while Sasuke took the passenger seat, and Madara and Rai sat in the middle row. There was another seat for Kagami to take, but he chose to sit in the back with Viatrix, who was now in quite the temperamental mood. All was silent as they pulled onto the road, heading toward the trail that would lead them up into the woods. They would leave the van at the campgrounds and begin their hike from there.

* * *

For a while, the only talking was between Itachi and Sasuke - they were marking on a map the trails they would take to and fro on the hike. Rai had fallen asleep rather quickly, which wasn't all too surprising. And, not that she was taking particular notice, but Madara was drearily looking out the window.

Deciding now would be as good a time as ever to get it out of the way, Viatrix turned to Kagami, blinking when she saw he was already looking at her. Still, she didn't let that deter her as she cleared her throat softly, speaking low enough so as not to be overheard. "Why did you do that? Before?" She asked, clearly referring to his spontaneous kiss. What she received in reply was accompanied by a smirk.

"It was the perfect opportunity, I couldn't just waste it." He stated, as if that was all the reasoning he needed. She narrowed her eyes.

"Sure. But _why_? It doesn't make sense. You've not shown an ounce of attraction toward me until today." She said accusingly. He sighed, his smirk dying down to a small tilt of his lips. Clearly, he was much too happy about his success in actually kissing her. She'd have to put an end to that quickly.

"Well can you blame me? We've been best friends for the good of fourteen years and you just expect me to be able to express something like that?" He shook his head. "No. I've liked you for a while, Viatrix...I just never figured out how to tell you." She pursed her lips. Sure, it sounded logical enough, but she had a hard time accepting it. Then again, that pretty much proved his point, so she couldn't really argue.

His eyes flickered to her lips for a moment, then returned to hers with a soft question in them. She tensed slightly, easily getting the message. Well, at least he was asking this time. Still, was she really comfortable with letting him think she was attracted to him like that without being too sure of it herself? Surprisingly, she realized the answer was yes. Yes, she did feel comfortable with him.

She wasn't so stiff as she leaned to meet him this time, intent on experiencing what a real kiss with him would be like. However, luck simply was not in her favour, and she found a hand smacking between their foreheads, making them jump apart.

"No PDA in the car!" Rai ordered, apparently having woken up. He laughed at their stunned looks, and even more so at the rising blush on Viatrix's face. "Ooh-ohoh, we got a pair of lovebirds over here." He said clearly for all to hear. Viatrix glared.

"We are _not_ lovebirds." She growled, only making him laugh more. She pointedly paid no attention to Madara when he glanced over at the commotion, not even wanting to imagine the look he was giving her.

"Man, break a guy's heart, why don't ya?" Rai teased, swiftly dodging a back-hand aimed at his face.

"Pipe down back there!" Sasuke snapped with a brief glare before returning to his conversation with Itachi. Viatrix was glad for the intervention, which effectively made Rai hold his tongue from further jokes. She was honestly glad that Sasuke was as mature as he was, for being the same age as - yet a few months younger than - her. At least there was someone she could count on to settle things down when it became too annoying.

After that, a steady flow of conversation picked up between the Uchiha, that even Madara pitched into at times. Thankfully, the topic of what Rai had been about to witness was neatly avoided, much to both Viatrix's and Kagami's doing. Eventually, she even began speaking one-on-one with Madara again, feeling more comfortable than she had been as of late. She didn't know why, but it seemed like the Uchiha were always able to calm her nerves. This was part of the reason she loved her adoptive family, no matter how strange that sounded in accordance to whatever had blossomed between her and Kagami.

Soon enough, they pulled into the parking lot of the campgrounds, and they all got out to gather their things for the hike. Instead of carrying their own belongings like before, Itachi organized the luggage in such a way, that someone would be carrying only one type of item. Since it seemed not everyone had been smart enough to bring their own tents, Kagami carried the three they did have. Viatrix took everyone's sleeping bags, despite Rai's protesting to do it himself, thinking it was too much for her. But sleeping bags were light, even in quantity, so really she was doing herself a favour.

Once everything was divvied out, they started on their way, Itachi up front with the map while everyone else followed in a loose line. Their hike began, and Viatrix had a feeling it would be dark before they reached their first checkpoint. She wondered who she would wind up sharing a tent with, since that was clearly inevitable.


	6. Chapter 6

**Insatiable**

**Previously...**  
_Once everything was divvied out, they started on their way, Itachi up front with the map while everyone else followed in a loose line. Their hike began, and Viatrix had a feeling it would be dark before they reached their first checkpoint. She wondered who she would wind up sharing a tent with, since that was clearly inevitable._

* * *

The hike was turning out to be quite eventful for Viatrix, as well as the others. She had made multiple detours to get a few good pictures of the scenery and wild animals. They had even come across a bear and her cubs, though they neatly avoided the trio by taking a side route that eventually led back to the main trail. She had to say, those pictures turned out the best so far. She couldn't wait to add these to her project - the university she was after would surely take notice of such fine photography.

As expected, the sun was preparing to dip behind the horizon and they still had a quarter of a mile to go before reaching the first of three checkpoints. Against Itachi's individual protest, the group voted to continue through dusk. After all, the checkpoint was in a green zone, an area wild animals were excluded from for safety precautions. It just wouldn't do to set up camp along the trail and risk running into those bears again, or even cougars.

So they tread on, though it wasn't long before Rai's complaints finally started. Honestly, it was a wonder how he'd remained relatively quiet this whole time.

"Guys, we only ate breakfast this morning and we've been walking practically all day. Can't we take a tiny break or something? I need to take a piss, too." He droned, earning a sigh from the group. However, it wasn't the growl of Rai's stomach that reached their ears, but Sasuke's. He pursed his lips.

"A short break. We're only eating granola bars, though." He stated, pulling out the box they had brought from the food supplies he was carrying. Rai gaped.

"Are you kidding me? Those won't be enough to satisfy me for another quarter mile." Sasuke appeared before his complaining relative, eyes set in a dark scowl. Rai flinched back a bit from surprise.

"Well they better, or else you're going without anything for the next quarter mile." He growled, shoving a granola bar into the boy's hand. Rai sighed and slumped his shoulders in defeat as he started eating regardless.

Viatrix rested against a tree, nibbling at her own snack. She doubted she would eat the whole thing - she didn't much care for the taste. She would give the rest to Rai then, if only to keep him quiet for a little while longer. She glanced up as someone approached her, surprised to see it was Itachi, wearing a small smile.

"Mind if I join you?" He asked; she shrugged and stepped over to make room for him against the rather large tree trunk. He let out a long sigh as he slumped back, seeming as if he'd been quite stressed. "They're all a bit of a handful, aren't they?" He noted, gazing at Sasuke and Rai, the latter of which was being reprimanded for his antics. Viatrix sported a slight giggle as she shook their head at them.

"Yeah. I sometimes think Sasuke tries too hard to be the adult. Kind of like he's trying to impress you." She suggested, smirking teasingly at the elder, who chuckled at her.

"Ah...I wouldn't be fooled by him. Sasuke absolutely loathes me. If anything, he's trying to outshine me." He said, running a hand through the hair not pulled into a ponytail. Viatrix frowned at him.

"Why would you think that?" She asked curiously. Itachi and Sasuke always seemed to get along rather well. She would have never guessed Sasuke felt any kind of dislike toward his brother. Itachi sighed again.

"You don't see him at home. It's always constant bickering between us. Mother and Father have had just about enough of it." A sad look appeared in his eye then. "He's convinced that I'm after his boyfriend, Naruto." He said quietly. Viatrix blinked in shock.

"Sasuke and Naruto are together?" She asked, somewhat bewildered. It wasn't that she had anything against homosexuality, or Naruto for that matter. It was simply that she'd known both of them for a while, and they seemed like complete opposites. She supposed opposites could attract, but...oh, whatever. It wouldn't do to try and think about the bad things that could come out of their relationship. The simple fact that Sasuke had found someone made her smile. Surely Naruto would have a good impact on his life. The hyperactive fool...ha.

"Yes, and Sasuke refuses to have him over at all. Not while I'm around." Itachi continued solemnly, regaining her attention. "There was an incident a couple months ago that started all this. It was late at night and Sasuke had apparently snuck Naruto into our home. They got into my alcohol. It was dark, and I'd gone downstairs to see what was making all the noise. Sasuke and I share a strong resemblance, that is undeniable, so when it comes right down to it, it's really nobody's fault." His eyes were glued to the ground, a gloomy shadow cast over his features. Viatrix pursed her lips, able to make certain connections to his story.

She grabbed his hand, seeming to take him by surprise as he looked over at her. She offered a small, apologetic smile. "I'm sorry that happened to you. And I'm sorry Sasuke's too stubborn to convince otherwise." She told him, happy to see his features soften somewhat. He squeezed her hand back reassuringly, lips tilting upward.

"Thank you. You're far more mature than you should be, you know that?" He said; she smiled.

"Yes, I do. It's gotten me a lot of places up until now." She said pridefully. He laughed at that, but the moment was cut short as Sasuke announced that they were to start off again. They sighed simultaneously and released each other's hand, the contact not having felt the slightest bit awkward between them. Viatrix always thought of Itachi like an older brother, even though they weren't genetically related. And he treated her like a little sister, so it all worked out well. She was glad to have had him there to protect her during a few rough scrapes that she couldn't handle on her own. Of course now she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, though the bond still held tight.

Once they started on their way again, and Viatrix put a plug in Rai's complaining mouth (the plug being in the form of half a granola bar), they were able to complete the rest of their trek to the first checkpoint. The temperature had dropped rapidly after the sun went down, and they were setting up the tents with numb appendages while someone else put together a fire. Rai's undying hunger was finally sated when Sasuke passed out some sandwiches, putting some marshmallows to roast on the fire for smores later.

Apparently having thought this through prior to reaching the checkpoint, Itachi tore up some paper into six pieces, marking them with three different colours, so each had a pair. Cupping the pieces in his hand, he told Kagami, Sasuke and Madara to come and pick a piece. Kagami got red, Sasuke blue, and Madara green. Itachi then told Rai and Viatrix to pick their respective pieces, keeping one for himself.

"Whoever got the same colours will share a tent together." The elder Uchiha explained. Rai blatantly announced he got red, much to Kagami's hidden disappointment. Viatrix was squinting at her paper, not able to distinguish the colour in the dim lighting. She glanced at Itachi, figuring it would be easier to do process of elimination rather than spend thirty minutes fighting with her poor eyesight.

"I got blue." He told her. Meaning she got green. Her eyes flickered momentarily to Madara, who was also glancing at her with a slightly raised brow. She dropped her gaze nearly immediately, deciding to cast her worries aside for the time being. She didn't even want to know what Kagami was thinking right now. "Now that that's settled, everyone grab a marshmallow." Itachi continued, picking his own stick as everyone shortly followed suit. The smores were great, but it wasn't long before Rai picked up his mischievous antics once more.

"Okay guys..." He drawled, standing from his spot on the forest floor to hurry over to the food supplies. It seemed like _someone_ had packed more than food, as was apparent when he lifted up two six-packs of beer. "Have at it, children." He said as he returned to his seat, plucking the cans out one by one and tossing them to everyone. Sasuke glared as he effortlessly snatched his before it connected with his face.

"We're underaged." He noted bluntly with a grimace. Rai rolled his eyes.

"Do you see any cops around? 'Cause I sure don't." He said, upending his own can. Sasuke's eyes narrowed.

"No, but I do see her." He said, undoubtedly referring to Viatrix, who was suddenly very occupied by a book in her lap.

"And I don't see anything." She added without looking up, earning a laugh from her more willing counterparts.

"See? Loosen up, Sasu. This is a vacation, have some fun." Rai said, lounging back on his elbow as he stretched his legs out in front of him. Eventually, Sasuke did as told and popped the tag of his beer can, and lighthearted conversation picked up around the fire.

"I gotta take a piss." Kagami said suddenly, standing to go fulfill his announcement. Viatrix raised and dropped her eyebrows, turning a page.

"Thanks for sharing." She muttered, exuding another chuckle from those who remained. She had to admit, she rather enjoyed this. It wasn't often that she got to hang around her guy friends like this, mostly because she wouldn't dare have this particular group over at her house (too many breakable things), and it seemed like they weren't ever around at the same time to get together. This was a rare occasion and she was rather enjoying it.

She didn't notice that someone had been sitting next to her until she felt them lean over her shoulder. She tensed, glancing over just slightly, aware of how close their faces were. Her heart jumped at realizing it was Madara, though his eyes were staring intently at the book in her lap.

"The Host?" He asked, turning to look at her, faces nearly brushing together. She turned her head forward again - if only to gain a few centimeters of space between them - and cleared her throat.

"Uh, yes. I've been meaning to look into it for some time now...it's turning out to be quite a good read." She said quietly, heavily uncomfortable with how close he was. She doubted he was oblivious to that, either. Her heart rate increased yet again as he shifted his body closer, his fingers brushing over hers as he leaned on his hand.

"Do tell me what you think of it after you finish it. I rather enjoyed that book myself." He said, more than likely intentionally letting his breath caress her face. To her surprise, she smelled no alcohol, and was instead greeted with that cologne she'd come to like. She couldn't help but inhale just a bit, not realizing how addicting the scent had become to her.

She felt his free hand brush against her arm, the slightly cooler temperature of his skin raising goosebumps across hers as it traveled up to just above her bicep. Her breathing became shallow as he softly nuzzled her ear, the touch as light as his breath. The hand on her arm tightened slightly as he trailed his lips down to her shoulder, pressing gently. Her grip on her book tightened somewhat, and she bit her lip.

"Madara..." she whispered out, "stop..." Twas a weak fight she was putting up, and she didn't want to think about why she wasn't doing a thing to actually stop him.

"You don't want me to." Madara whispered huskily, as if reading her thoughts. A flush rose on her face at that, the heat from the fire having nothing to do with how warm she was feeling now. That was all Madara, as he nudged her head with his to get her to reveal more of her neck to him. He took quick advantage of the exposed skin, latching his lips onto it and giving a harsh suck, eliciting a sharp gasp from the Sasaki before she silenced herself by biting her lips once more.

It seemed like she would finally give into him - her mentality was cracking piece by piece. And just when she started thinking about Kagami, and whatever had just bloomed between them, they were both taken by surprise as Madara was practically ripped away from Viatrix. The latter gasped again and turned to see what had happened, for a split-second experiencing the childish fear that those bears had shown up again. However, it was something worse.

Kagami had returned.

* * *

**Haha sorry this took so long, guys ^_^' And ugh I totally did not mean to spoil the moment like that, but just as I was getting into it, I was like "Oh shit Kagami's still takin' a piss" And well yeah ;P**

**Anyway, to my beautiful reviewers:  
hahu and xaaaading: Thanks~ I'll try to update more often :D  
madara2: Umm...I don't think Madara has extracted the Kyuubi from Naruto yet...or maybe I just haven't gotten that far? I'm only on episode 221...Not too sure how that connects to the story, though...**

**Madara:** Weird-ass comment...

**Chris:** You don't have to be rude...

**Madara:** As if you weren't thinking it.

**Chris:** At least I have enough class to hold my tongue of such thoughts and opinions.

**Kagami:** NOBODY CARES~!


	7. Chapter 7

**Absolute Nonsense**

**Previously...**  
_It seemed like she would finally give into him - her mentality was cracking piece by piece. And just when she started thinking about Kagami, and whatever had just bloomed between them, they were both taken by surprise as Madara was practically ripped away from Viatrix. The latter gasped again and turned to see what had happened, for a split-second experiencing the childish fear that those bears had shown up again. However, it was something worse._  
_ Kagami had returned._

* * *

"Touch her again and I'll break your fucking arms." Kagami growled viciously, fists clenched as he stood protectively in front of Viatrix. His blazing eyes, which looked almost red in the firelight, glared down at Madara, who had caught himself on the ground. The older of the two narrowed his own eyes, standing to face Kagami, though he was a good inch or two taller. Kagami didn't back down, though, and instead got a feral look in his eyes the closer Madara got.

"What, do you have rights to her now?" Madara growled back through clenched teeth, seeming just as ticked as the other now.

"No, but you sure as hell don't, either. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember her telling you to stop. Which means _piss off_." Kagami made to shove Madara, but the man barely moved an inch. His hand flew up to catch Kagami's, twisting it over his head and behind his back as he locked his arm around the other, preventing movement.

"You'd better watch who you're dealing with before you bite off more than you can chew, kid." Madara warned lowly, holding tighter as if more emphasis. Kagami grunted at the pressure being applied to his arms and began a valiant struggle. Somehow, he managed to wiggle his arm free and elbowed Madara in the ribs. The receiver of the attack coughed, releasing his grip on the other to hold his side. Kagami took advantage of his freedom to swivel around, kicking high into the air and clipping Madara on the neck. He was tossed to the side with a painful cough, landing roughly on the ground.

The fire in Kagami's eyes had yet to diminish, and Viatrix knew if she let him continue, he would cause some serious damage to Madara. So jumping from the spot she'd been frozen on, she hurried to block Kagami's path to his fallen relative, spreading her arms in a desperate attempt to withhold him.

"Stop it! You're going to hurt him!" She yelled angrily. By now, the others had rushed over to assist in the brawl - whether to help stop it or widen it, she knew not - and Rai and Itachi were by Kagami's side to hold him back. Sasuke appeared in front of Viatrix, giving Kagami a deadly look. She doubted he was trying to protect Madara, but more so to protect Viatrix from Kagami's wrath. Nonetheless, he backed off, and Viatrix took that opportunity to assess Madara, who had yet to pick himself up off the ground.

"Are you oka-"

"Why did you do that?" She was cut off by Madara's own question, his voice sounding painfully strained. She pursed her lips, frowning at him.

"I don't know." She said softly, though her voice indicated the topic wasn't up for conversation. He thankfully let it go for now as she began looking at his injuries. The one she could see looked pretty bad - his throat was already showing a large, dark bruise from where Kagami had kicked him. She had to check the one on his side, too, though, to make sure he wasn't fatally wounded or anything of the like.

She began rolling up his shirt gently, so as not to put pressure against that spot. She'd already seen him shirtless, so this was nothing. Thankfully, there was only a small red spot on the lower right of his ribs, which meant they could afford to just focus on his neck for now. Remembering who had the first aid kit, she called Itachi over, and he hurried to her side with the kit in hand, already prepared.

Viatrix didn't know much in the medical field - that was most certainly Itachi's expertise, what with him striving to become a doctor. So she sat to Madara's other side while Itachi did his thing, though her focus was concentrated elsewhere. Kagami was watching from afar, Sasuke and Rai on either of his sides, clearly trying to talk to him about something. Sasuke seemed furious, and Rai looked like a poor kid caught in the sidelines of all this mess. She felt bad that their camping trip had turned out so horrid already, and this was just the first night out. She had no doubt that the tension would be high for the rest of the trip, if they even decided to keep going and not turn back in the morning.

"Okay, you should be good for now." Itachi's voice drew her attention back to his patient, who now had a large gauze pad over the bruise. "I'll change that in the morning and reapply the ointment. It's going to swell and you'll have some trouble swallowing and talking for a few days. Don't move your head too much." Itachi instructed. Madara sat up from his position on his back, hand moving to lightly hover over the bandaging.

"Thank you." He said weakly, accepting the other's help with standing up, Viatrix following simultaneously. Itachi nodded back and turned to address Kagami.

"You need to learn to control yourself." He said sternly, causing for the kid to jump to his feet with an incredulous look on his face.

"Did you even see what he was doing to her? I was just -" Itachi held his hand up, effectively cutting off his argument. Honestly, the amount of authority Itachi had over them all was pretty astonishing. Even Madara, whom one would think would be in charge of this whole operation. Itachi had always given off that sort of vibe, though.

"You were just being impulsive. There was no need for physical violence. There is a reason I didn't intervene beforehand." He said, catching everyone off guard. So he had seen what was going on...and didn't think to stop it? Had he heard Viatrix tell Madara to stop? She couldn't see his reasoning behind not attempting to separate the two of them. "I think you may have had too much alcohol. We should all get some sleep so we'll be well rested for tomorrow. Personally, I'd like to see this trip through as we planned." Itachi continued, gesturing toward the tents.

Kagami glared at him one last time, sparing a last glance at Viatrix before letting out a frustrated breath and heading off to his tent. A worn looking Rai followed in suit, seeming a bit reluctant to have to share a tent with the aggressive drunk. Itachi bid the remaining goodnight as he and Sasuke disappeared inside their tent, as well. That left only Madara and Viatrix in the diminishing light of the fire, which had burned down to a few embers and no longer provided the warmth it had been. Only then did Viatrix realize how cold it was outside, and a shiver passed through her, making her shudder visibly.

It really didn't surprise her when she felt his arm drape around her. For once, she wasn't going to detest it. It was cold, he was warm, and he'd just gotten the shit kicked out of him...no doubt a blow to his pride. She knew how Uchiha were; even against their own kin, it was always a battle of who was strongest. The fact that Kagami, who was quite noticeably less muscular than Madara, had been able to do this to him was probably going to weigh heavily on his mind. She continued to ponder about this as they approached their tent.

The way she saw the Uchiha, was as if they were a pride of lions. The males - the brothers - always held the strongest bonds, but that didn't mean they were above fighting each other for dominance. It was like maintaining territory, making sure everyone knew where their place was in the pride. The way Kagami saw it - and this ticked her off to no end - was that Madara was encroaching onto his territory by making advances on Viatrix. As if she _belonged_ to him. It was demeaning in more ways than one.

Still, at least the trivial matter had been settled for the night, and they could all get a good rest before continuing on their trek in the morning. Upon entering the tent, they found their sleeping bags already there. Viatrix thought about just slipping into hers and hitting it, but she knew it would be rather difficult for Madara to situate himself comfortably in his own sleeping bag without straining his neck too much. So, despite the fact he hadn't asked for help, she eased him down onto the mat, a hand behind his head and another on his arm for support. His eyes stayed on hers the whole time, even as she released him and began zipping the bag up.

"I don't understand you." He said, his voice quiet enough not to startle her. She glanced at him, sitting back on her knees and toes as she finished and waited for him to explain further. "It's like you're giving off mixed signals without even realizing it. I wouldn't have tried anything if I didn't think you wanted it." He told her. She pursed her lips, giving him a sad look that couldn't really be seen in the dark.

"I'm sorry. If you want the truth, I really don't know what I'm doing either." She sighed, shifting to sit cross-legged beside him, ignoring the cold for now. "I've been feeling a bit off ever since this morning. Then Kagami started...doing _something_, and it's just really confusing." Her brows furrowed in thought. She hadn't taken the time to assess what this odd feeling was until now. And now that she was, a singular thought kept circulating in the back of her mind, though she refused to acknowledge it. At least, not yet.

She looked up again when she felt his hand on her arm. "Perhaps it would be best if you put distance between both of us for now, then. Until you feel confident in your decision." He advised. She tilted her head slightly to the side.

"But what decision am I supposed to make? I'm still trying to figure out what the damn problem is." She sighed again, running a hand through her hair. The hand on her arm tightened a little, drawing her gaze back to his.

"Do me a favour and kiss me." Her eyes widened and she tensed yet again. Paralysis seemed to be her way of responding to shock. But now her stomach was feeling all light and fluttery and she could feel heat trying to rise to her face.

"W-what?" She breathed out, not understanding the meaning of his request. She realized he'd always been blunt, but she sure wasn't expecting that.

"It doesn't have to mean anything, just...kiss me." He said; she swallowed through her suddenly dry throat. What was his purpose for asking her to do that, though? If he was getting these mixed signals from her, shouldn't that make him more wary of his actions? But then again, it would be _her_ actions...Oh, listen to her! She wasn't even making sense to herself now.

In the end, she wasn't actually too sure what compelled her to follow his request. But all she could think was how soft his lips were when she leaned down to do it. She had no control over her eyes as they closed by their own will, and she felt herself lean closer, as if to see what other sensations she could pull from this simple action. She found she was delighted when his tongue traced the seam of her lips, silently asking for the entry she so readily granted.

Whatever happened to "it doesn't have to mean anything", she'll never know. But she hadn't a care for it, either, as she focused on the blissfully light, tingly feeling he gave her when his tongue began exploring her mouth in ways she'd never experienced before. Whatever his reasoning had been to ask her to kiss him, she was highly thankful for, and she felt as if that decision would be ridiculously easy to make later on.

When they finally broke apart for air, she couldn't help but to just sit there and stare into his eyes, now that her sight had become a bit accustomed to the dark and she could see his features more clearly. His hand came to rest on her cheek, his fingers cold, but not any warmer than her own skin.

"Thank you." He whispered, letting his fingers trail across her lips before lowering his hand. "We should go to sleep now." He added; she nodded slightly and almost awkwardly shuffled back into her own sleeping bag. Her mind was crawling with thoughts about what had just occurred between them, though she couldn't allow herself to stay awake any longer. Sunrise would be in a few hours and they would be setting off shortly after dawn. She was sure she'd have plenty of time to ponder over all this nonsense tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

**Decisions, Decisions...**

**Previously...**  
_"Thank you." He whispered, letting his fingers trail across her lips before lowering his hand. "We should go to sleep now." He added; she nodded slightly and almost awkwardly shuffled back into her own sleeping bag. Her mind was crawling with thoughts about what had just occurred between them, though she couldn't allow herself to stay awake any longer. Sunrise would be in a few hours and they would be setting off shortly after dawn. She was sure she'd have plenty of time to ponder over all this nonsense tomorrow._

* * *

"Guys! Did anyone bring bug-spray?!" Rai shouted, finally cracking from having to scratch and smack himself all over from the bugs that seemed to swarm around him. Itachi sighed, pausing to search through his things. If anything, he would have it.

"No, sorry. You'll just have to wallow in mud at the next checkpoint." Itachi said, smirking almost sarcastically as he shouldered his bag again and continued forth. Rai groaned, twisting his body in odd ways to scratch himself. Viatrix couldn't help but giggle and shake her head at him.

"You wouldn't happen to be wearing cologne, would you?" She asked knowingly, appearing behind him and giving him a good sniff. Hmm, wonder where she recognized _that_ scent from...

"Uh, I-I, um, heh, well ya see..." Rai paused to scratch his back. "Uuhh...yeah. Yes, I am wearing cologne." He admitted finally. Madara paused up ahead, patting one of his jacket pockets. He reached inside, but came out with nothing, turning his body around to face Rai, seeing as how he couldn't turn his head.

"You took my cologne? Really?" He asked incredulously. Rai chuckled nervously, though soon dropped that act as he growled and scratched in a couple more places.

"Well, what can I say? It's like a chick magnet." He claimed. Viatrix snorted, skipping ahead of him.

"Ha, more like a bug magnet." She joked as she rejoined the rest of the group. Madara caught her eye.

"You seem to like it pretty well." He reminded her. She opened her mouth to retort, but couldn't quite think of anything to say through the slight embarrassment.

"Yeah, you pesky little insect. I'm surprised you're not crawling all over me by now." Rai said, stumbling past them while hopping on one foot, having taken the shoe off his other to scratch it. She rolled her eyes after him, but glanced back at Madara before continuing to walk side-by-side with him.

As expected, her decision had been miraculously easy to make, and she'd done so as soon as she woke up. But, that didn't mean she was ready to tell anyone yet. It just meant she'd made up her mind. In no way did that include having to _speak_ her mind.

Still, she was rather looking forward to reaching their next checkpoint. There was supposed to be a hot spring nearby, and if they got there early enough, they could all enjoy a good soak in the hot water. The gods knew she was ready to kick back and relax after all the shit that had been happening lately. It was a good thing she'd packed a bathing suit, though. You never knew what luxuries you might run into on a hike.

The hike itself was also enjoyable. For Viatrix, that is. The others could probably have cared less, and Rai was having one hell of a time fending off those bugs. However, she was able to catch some, quite admittably, beautiful shots of a herd of deer off the trail a bit. A couple bucks and a few doe, along with a fawn or two. It was adorable to watch a fawn and its parents interact. Its father would engage in a playful head-ramming contest, and seemed to make the fawn think it won by dropping to his forelegs and placing his head down. It was quite the sight, and she was glad she able to catch it all on camera without startling them.

Anyway, they had reached the checkpoint a couple hours after two PM, and had a good amount of daylight left. So - with Itachi and Sasuke's permission, of course - they hurriedly set the tents up and changed. Viatrix was predictably the only one to go inside a tent to change, but was glad no one tried any funny business while she did so. Not that she _really_ expected it, but when you're surrounded by boys, you never know.

She wore a long T-shirt over her bikini while they made their way toward the hot spring, cursing her sensitive feet as the floor of the forest pricked at her skin as she walked. She felt stupid wearing her tennis shoes along with her current attire, and just to go this short distance.

Needless to say, she was taken by surprise - sigh, again - when someone lifted her into their arms, making her squeal slightly with a hand covering her mouth. She looked at whoever it was, brows furrowing as she saw it was Madara. "You shouldn't be straining yourself too much with that injury." She warned him, lowering her arms to cross comfortably over her stomach. He smirked at her.

"Itachi said not to move my head too much. He said nothing about the rest of my body." He reminded her. She pouted at him, making him chuckle. "Quit whining and let me do this." He ordered. She turned away from him.

"I am not whining." She mumbled, but otherwise remained silent. Just a few moments later, they emerged into the clearing that held the hot spring. The steam was visible in the air, and it seemed to have an external body of water feeding into it from further upstream, more than likely lowering the temperature around that area. Madara set her down on her feet, moving to remove the bandage from his neck. "Uh, are you sure that's a good -"

"It's perfectly fine." Said Itachi, appearing beside them. "In fact, it would benefit him to have that area exposed to the heat. It will decrease the swelling and in turn help him heal faster." He explained before moving on to slip into the pool. She sighed and glared halfheartedly at Madara, who simply smiled at her.

"What's wrong? Don't wanna see me get better?" He teased, making a light jab at her stomach as he passed her. She jumped back, choking down a giggle from the ticklish feeling. Still, she watched him as he followed Itachi's example and tied up his hair into quite a large, yet sufficient bun before stepping into the water. Rai had the unfortunate luck of falling in head-first, having tripped over a fallen branch since he was paying too much attention to his itching problem.

Sighing and shaking her head, she removed her T-shirt and carefully stepped into a cooler area, taking off her glasses and setting them on the ground behind her. She let out a deep sigh of relaxation, feeling as if the world had fled from her shoulders the moment the water touched her skin. It wasn't too hot or too cold, just the perfect temperature for her. She would definitely have to hike out here more often.

After closing her eyes, she didn't even realize when she began drifting off. But when she started coming to, it was because she felt something on her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open, and she placed the feeling as someone's finger tracing random patterns on her skin. Her neck practically snapped with how quickly she turned to see who was touching her, though she was deprived of shock when she saw Madara's face smiling at her innocently.

"Wake up, sleeping beauty, else thy skin shouldest wrinkle." He said mockingly, offering his hand to her. She rose a brow at him, but took his hand nonetheless, allowing him to help her balance as she gained footing along the earth wall of the spring and hoisted herself out. She glanced up and noticed the sun looked about and hour or so lower than what she remembered seeing when she stepped in. She cursed herself for falling asleep in the water, but hopefully she wouldn't wrinkle too badly.

"I never took you for one who would indulge himself in Olde English." She remarked, finding her glasses (thankful that no one had stepped on them or anything) and proceeding to locate her T-shirt.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." Madara retorted, making her scoff lightly. She sighed frustratedly and put her hands on her hips. She couldn't find that damn shirt anywhere.

"Where is my -"

"The guys took it back to the camp when they left earlier." He answered for her. She turned back to the pool to see that they were, indeed, alone. She gaped at him slightly.

"Well why didn't you wake me up then?" She asked accusingly, only receiving that same cocky smile.

"Thought you might appreciate the beauty sleep. And besides," he paused to swing his arm under her legs and catch her in the bridal position, yet again, "I wanted to carry you back in private." He started walking, and instead of protesting, Viatrix simply let it go and discreetly pressed herself against him as if to absorb his warmth. The cold air had assaulted her skin the moment she got out of the warm water, and she was already shaking. Not that the heat rising to her face from being so close to this half-naked man was being ignored, either.

Sighing to herself, she thought now would be a good time to inform him of her resolution. "So...I've made a decision." She began, but didn't have time to continue as he suddenly stopped and placed her gently on her feet, holding her by her shoulders. The look in his eye was intense, seriousness having replaced his joking attitude from before. She cleared her throat and went on. "Kagami..." she wouldn't deny pausing just to see his reaction, but she hurried on at the immediate sadness that appeared on his face, "needs to know that I'm not interested in him that way." She concluded.

Madara seemed to take a moment to fully register her words, but once he did she found herself being lifted and spun around, only to settle against his chest. Once her vision stopped spinning, she focused on the overly elated grin on the Uchiha's face, just before he leaned down to kiss her deeply. She couldn't help but smile against his lips, hooking her arms around his neck to pull him closer. She was quite satisfied with her decision, and it seemed he felt the same way.

They were only pulled apart by several catcalls coming from the direction of the camp, and they turned to see the fully-dressed remainder of their group watching them with cocky grins.

"Yo, we're supposed to have fun, but save it for the tents." Rai teased as they were beckoned over.

"Come on, Itachi's making dinner." Sasuke said as they approached the site, Madara's arm snaking around Viatrix's waist. She had a feeling things were going to get better from here on out. She could only hope Kagami would be understanding with her final decision and not actually try to kill Madara this time. Wouldn't that be a shame.

* * *

**T_T I hath returned**

**amelie and mikoxx: Thanks for the reviews~ Sorry if Madara isn't dangerous enough for you m( _ _)m Perhaps I should have mentioned this will be slightly OOC? Haha well anyway, I'll be wrapping this up pretty soon. Hope you guys like this chapter, and please continue to review~!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Departure**

**Previously...**  
_"Come on, Itachi's making dinner." Sasuke said as they approached the site, Madara's arm snaking around Viatrix's waist. She had a feeling things were going to get better from here on out. She could only hope Kagami would be understanding with her final decision and not actually try to kill Madara this time. Wouldn't that be a shame._

* * *

Viatrix buried her face in the warmth of Madara's chest, arms locked around him as she refused to let go. She could feel him chuckle as he lowered his hands to her waist, spontaneously tickling her. She let out a yelp and jumped away, glaring at him when he outright laughed.

"Come on, I had to make you let go somehow." He reminded her; she just rolled her eyes and he sighed with a smile on his face. "I have to go pick up Shisui from summer school. And your ride's here." He pointed out, nodding behind her. She glanced back to see the car her nanny had driven her here in six days ago. They hand wound up staying at the airport on the last day because they missed their flight when returning from their hike. She sighed and turned back to him.

"You'll come visit me, right?" She asked, frowning. She didn't like that they lived in different towns, not to mention that she couldn't drive on her own yet. He gave her a soft smile, gesturing for her to come closer again. She did, and was brought into a meaningful kiss.

"All the time." He muttered. "You'll get sick of me soon enough." He assured her, succeeding in making her smile and shake her head. But then his lips tilted downward somewhat, and his hand came to rest on her stomach. "Don't forget to check that every few weeks. I want you to tell me as soon as you know for sure." He told her sternly, and she nodded, swallowing slightly. The thought scared her a little, but she doubted they had anything to worry about.

"I will. Don't -" She was cut off by an impatient horn, and signaled for her nanny to give her a moment. "Worry." She finished, turning back to him. He gently stroked her face, fingers trailing over her lips.

"You're going to get me in so much trouble." He said quietly, making her giggle. "I'm serious! Five years age difference." He said warningly. She gave him a pointed look.

"I'm sixteen, I'm at the age of consent, and _I consented to you_." She reminded him, slipping her arms around his waist. "Completely sober, I might add. Quit worrying so much. The only trouble you're going to get in is if any of the tests come out positive and my nanny finds out." She said jokingly, though she was partially serious. Jane, her nanny, would totally flip shit if she found out Viatrix was pregnant. She couldn't do much more than call her parents and tell them about it, but then came the issue of her parents. She didn't know them well enough anymore to know if they'd really get angry or not.

Madara sighed. "Yeah okay. Just bear in mind not everybody would be okay with this, alright?" He said. "Please?" He persisted, cutting her off from repeating what she'd just said. She sighed and nodded.

"I know, and I will." She stepped forward to hug him one last time, regretting it as his arms wrapped around her and she found she didn't want to let go again. "I love you." She muttered quietly, just loud enough for him to hear.

"I love you, too." He replied, kissing the top of her head and finally prompting her to step away. She gave a last smile and a wave before turning and hurrying to the car, which started up the moment her door closed.

"I don't even want to know what happened on that trip." Jane said pointedly, making Viatrix pause for a moment before laughing. Her nanny was awesome until she was forced to do something irrational. Well, irrational in the eyes of a teenager, but completely rational to keep her out of trouble. Still, she loved Jane like an aunt, despite her occasionally stern attitude.

"No problem." She responded with a chuckle. This wasn't going to be such a big issue, she was sure. The law had no say in the matter; the only thing they had to worry about was people's opinions, which, in her eyes, wasn't much. The ones whose opinions she cared about were completely fine with it, anyway. One, if not a tad bit jealous, but he'll get over it. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, deciding she could now focus on more in life than just intellect and her studies.

* * *

**PLEASE DON'T FREAK OUTThere will be an epilogue containing the lemon just as soon as I get it up. I know that some people kinda want to avoid that stuff, so I thought I'd add it at the end so it can be avoided without worry. I thought about doing a sequel, in which case the epilogue (or at least the beginning and end of it) would be quite important, but I decided against it simply because I want to stick to my original plan. Since my AU Viatrix doesn't have a set storyline, the stories I do write for her will not be connected to each other unless stated otherwise. Each one set in a different verse, if you will. ANYWAY, the lemon will be in the epilogue, so don't freak out if you were looking forward to it.**

**Now onto reviewers~ Or reviewer, more rather ;P:  
Queen Espada: Haha thank you! Sorry this chapter was so short and rushed, but I really had nothing other than the lemon planned for the remainder of the camping trip, and I didn't want to bore you guys with that. So I thought I'd substitute with a sappy little temporary farewell between these two ;P Glad you like the story, though!**


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